It can get you fired, put the kibosh on being hired, and, now, may even present a road block for securing a car loan or line of credit.

Credit-rating companies have started looking at consumers' Facebook profiles for clues about their creditworthiness.

The Financial Times reports that FICO and TransUnion are using this alternative data to make decisions about consumers without traditional credit scores: young people, new immigrants to the country, and those who haven't borrowed enough to generate a strong credit history. Certain phrases and words, and even your friends' credit scores, may offer clues into your ability to repay debt.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

"If you look at how many times a person says 'wasted' in their profile, it has some value in predicting whether they're going to repay their debt," said Will Lansing, chief executive at FICO. "It's not much, but it's more than zero."

In August, CNNreported that Facebook had patented technology that would allow lenders to "use a borrower's social network to determine whether he or she is a good credit risk." In other words, if you applied for a loan, the potential lender could scope out the credit ratings and economic status of your Facebook friends to reach a decision. Even variables like how often you move (an indication of problems paying rent) and where you say you live and work (if it doesn't match the location of your computer's IP address) can hurt your score, according to ABC Action News.

Other sources of non-traditional data include phone and utility bills, property, and public records. Credit-rating companies say they're taking this new approach because their number-one clients, banks, are concerned that denying people without traditional credit scores will impact overall bottom lines.